Tim McCoy

Many of us here freely upload oodles of information - videos, printed material and so on and it it is frequently done without attribution. IMHO this happens without any desire to be seen as the "creator", but in our enthusiasm to offer up information to the collective we bring what we find. Perhaps this can be a point where we consider the implications of violating anothers ownership to an idea or concept - the copywrite if you will. Violation of copywrite covers the misuse or theft of any original idea. The violation of copywrite is not often clear, hence trials to make determinations about copywrite viloations. Misuse can be defined very loosely and it is so rampant nowadays (since the internet) that actual prosecution is not that great. Einhorn's suggestion of imbedding a mark or identifier is a good one for visual stuff. We can also be supportive of another persons creative work by making full disclosure about where we found the info we put forth ... it's a good thing to give credit where it's due. I am in possession of an idea for a tool that I cannot bring forward because it is not mine. If I were to get permission from the creator in writing then I could share it with anyone I care to. Often times we read books that have concepts that the author allows to be reprinted - with attribution. By providing the information for your source you can usually cover yourselve from any charge of violating copywrite.

Everything in these photos may be used for an "anvil alternative". They include a piece of I-beam, elevator counter wieght, block mild steel, piece of fork lift tine, mild steel plate, a piece of railroad rail and a round high carbon steel bar mounted in concrete and even the head of a hammer can be used. Use what you have and replace it as soon as you can, when you can - that is IF you don't like what you have or it isn't meeting your needs. Through out all of this site there are examples of alternates to London Pattern anvils. In fact, it seems that most people working metal have several types of anvil . . . use what you have and worry about the details later.

Ferrous - appreciate the link - really like the anvil this guy has, very practical.

Thanks for the pic's - seems kinda sad that so many anvils are waiting quietly for some slappin' around :lol:

A visit to the saw bones is in order just to be sure what it is, but if it is gout (which I have dealt with for over 30 years) there's a home remedy that can help enormously. You can google gout for descriptions of symptoms and causes ... you'll get over a millions hits ... there are several drugs that doc's prescribe to help with cleaning out your blood system and most of them work. The cheapest and one of the easiest fixes is black cherry juice. Health food stores usually have it in stock as a concentrate ... follow the directions for usage EXACTLY ... an "overdose" will give you the "Rocky Mountain Quickstep". Or many grocery stores carry "Just Black Cherry" juice made by R. W. Knudson ... drink a whole bottle of that (32 ounces) over a 12 hour period and you should get relief ... but go see a doctor first.

I know that this is not a blacksmithing tool, but a tool is a tool and for $25 I couldn't resist this pre-1956 Dewalt MBC-29 radial arm saw. It runs and has all its parts and the adjustments work, so maybe a 9" metal cutting blade will let me cut some metal from time to time ... found this at a house where an older guy has a yard sale about once a month where I have found files, nippers, a 16# Atha sledge and various other goodies over the last 2 years ... had this thing setting out in front and I just couldn't pass it up for the price. Heck, if nothing else it ought to be good for a trade!! There is no base and the cutting table is way wrong, but it has that heavy cast iron arm and it runs quiet even at being nearly 70 years old ... no AMF stickers here!

As a teenager I spent many an unhappy summer swinging one of these . . . http://www.southernstates.com/catalog/p-4505-seymour-serrated-weed-cutter.aspx . . . my Dad called'em idiot sticks too!

They most definitely is axe ... you set a high bar for the rest of us to hurdle. Love the patterned ones! Thanks for sharing !!

Seems like a great way to make sure of the consistancy of your work - well done. LIke the sea waves comparison ...

Mark - great start - the fun is in the doing of it I'm sure! Keep at it, you be up and running before summer :D

Leaves me speechless - a fine piece of art of course - hope it sells soon!

great start at a great $$ value :)

I ditto Sam - DO IT!

Tom A. your link is to a gold mine! Thanks!!

I hope that I have put this in the right section ... Ran across this link that does a very decent job of explaining the different spark results created when we run something against a grinder looking for an answer about what it the heck it is. I looked for a while with the search feature, but couldn't find what I need ... maybe this will help someone identify that favorite scrounged chunk of metal. https://secure.wikim...i/Spark_testing :rolleyes:

Amazing how artiistic it is!!

Wonderful !!

Thomas - yep lump charcoal is the way to go ... ran out of mesquite charcoal so have to go to restaurant supply next pay day. Thanks for all the comments. Hopefully newbies can see that they don't have to be limited because they can't have a full fledged shop. I keep in mind a video I saw of a guy in Africa hammering on some unknown piece of steel with a small boy pumping a skin bag for a forge air supply. They did not wait until they had everything just right. I've paid a great deal of attention to the senior members here and have tried to embrace their constant reminders to others to "get something hard, build a fire and beat something until you learn how to make things" Be in the action mode, planning can only go so far. Mat is right, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes . . .

Corex - great find there! I don't know the words to use to describe how I feel about what Sipola does - perhaps magical is best. There is so much to learn from what is shown here. Thanks!

Thanks Beth - live in Las Vegas ... altitude about 1250' and 3" rain a year. Long hot summers and short cool winters.

Will having the fire steel inside the 550 cord wraping make accessing it a challenge? Each time you need the steel you have to at least partially unwrap it ... perhaps you could punch a hole in the reverse bend to stick the fire steel into so that it still fits between the bent ends of the handle and leave it just about 1/2" proud of the hole - have it wedged into the hole - just a thought.

Shoes how any design can be brought to life with the right machinery - I vote with HW.

I built this smithy about 18 months ago. Nothing used was purchased ... all scrounged or donated. Built the walls as tip up units. Used asphalt cut outs from a dump site for most of the flooring. Found a pick up load of cement forming plywood - has a form of formica as covering to allow a smoother finish. Door from sauna ... roofing tile from extra that my brother had and all nails taken from found nail gun strips ... and so on. Cheap, strong, drafty ... 7x7' interior dimension. I work from the center of the room ... everything is within easy reach. All stock that is over a couple foot long is outside. Small and efficient, but no room for any thing you could consider big. No power and no heater or A/C. Have to do any summertime work before 10AM as the heat here in the high desert can get to over 118. Anvil is a loaner - seems to be a vulcan. Forge is a large brake disk set on diamond plate (its upside down) and cast 2" pipe connected with tin cans tied on with tie wire (found that too) - Champion blower ... stainless steel slack tub with Superquench and in one corner we have used motor oil for quenching also. The window is some wire mesh I found in the road and the lumber is all scrounged from a dump site. The fire brick on the forge is from a demolished house ... big stuff! The punches and chisels are all yard sale items at 50 cents each. Hammers are all yard sale stuff too - except for a HF hammer that has been rehandled. Out front sits a champion forge that is cracked. The smithy sets within a small raised bed garden that has been unattended this past winter ... nearest the smithy there is a coal/charcoal bin. Have to use charcoal when there is no wind ... coal smoke causes complaints from the neighbors. It doesn't take much in the way of money to have a shop or tools or supplies or something to burn ... just a willingness to scrounge, use some imagination and be dedicated to getting what you need to learn how to be a blacksmith. Today was my first fire in almost a year as I was busy with tending to an ill wife. She's better and now the shop is open again and I spent some time practicing pointing up several different sizes of that nemisis rebar. I really have missed holding a hammer.

:lol:

Perhaps this link provides the answer to my heating issue ... sorry just couldn't resist the tangential thing.